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Postmodernism presents a challenge to the Christian view of epistemology. What are some practical ways you, as a Christian educator, can respond to this challenge?
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Postmodernism tells students they can create their own truth or ideals. They can ignore what science has proved and surmise their own conclusions verses accepting the truth from centuries of proof and or scientific research. The Bible is very clear to give truth. The world says create your own truth and deny what truth you’ve been told. One way to battle that is to constantly refer to God’s Word, and keeping pointing back to truth! Keeping Biblical truth at the forefront of our lives will help guard us from postmodernism thoughts.
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I believe as a Christian educator it is imperative to always point toward truth found in scripture to combat the bombardment of culture and it’s modern take on things. I often use the Bible to cement concepts taught and tell my students what God says about the topic. If they have questions I can not answer, I tell them that I am not God or Google and we look up the answers together using different resources. We make sure that the answers we find are backed by scripture and the laws of the universe that God created. Going through this process together, teached them how to discern things on their own in the future.
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I think the best way to respond to this challenge is to revert back to the Bible. When something is in question find the Biblical truth and move on from there. Give students Biblical reasoning to whether something is right or wrong and/or what to do in a situation.
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There is absolute truth and students need to be told there is absolute truth in a loving way. They need to be validated in their feelings, but also reminded how those feelings can be false. Relating to when they were younger and how their feelings may have changed since then would be one way to tackle this idea. More than anything, prayerfully talk with the students and have God grant wisdom in that conversation. Being prepared and spouting off truth can be taken poorly in these circumstances if it is not done with God’s wisdom and love for that person.
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As a Christian, I point to the inconsistency and illogic of post-modernism. In its place, I show the wisdom of the biblical worldview; how it answers the “big questions,” in a sane, rational and consistent way. I often say that you don’t have to bury your brains to be a Christian (actually, I picked that up from my former pastor, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs). Yet, it’s true. We some how think that faith is all feeling, rather than a rational belief.
